Thursday, August 27, 2009

Professional tennis is coming back to Marin. The Tiburon Peninsula Club will welcome back professional tennis players for a tournament during the week of October 12th. The tournament will have a prize purse of $50,000.

Since 2003, the last time Tiburon hosted the tourney, there have been several exhibitions with tennis superstars, but no official pro events. The tournament will be called the RBS Tiburon Challenger, after the title sponsor, Royal Bank of Scotland.

Tiburon lost the event due to an 18 - month renovation project, following which it took 2 years to secure an event on the USTA’s calendar again.

Players competing in the tournament won’t be announced until September 22nd, though Challenger events usually draw players ranked between 85 and 120 in the world.

Monday, August 24, 2009

Green Beans Coffee, headquartered in Larkspur, has enacted a charity program in which donors can buy a cup of coffee for military personnel overseas. The program, called “Cup of Joe for a Joe”, enables people to go online at www.GreenBeansCoffee.com and make a donation to cover the cost of a cup of coffee, chai tea, smoothie, or whatever the recipient wants that is sold by Green Beans Coffee stores. The donor can also leave a note, allowing the service personnel to respond on a secure email server.

The campaign is the brain-child of Novato resident Clay Lingo when he worked for Kodak several years ago. He was having a conversation with the company’s accountant about the company’s charitable efforts when he came up with the idea. The accountant introduced Lingo to the Green Beans brass, and now he works for them full-time.

There are sixty-five Green Beans locations spread around East Africa, Southwest Asia, and the Middle East , some within the borders of US military installations. Military personnel must register with Green Beans to be eligible. There currently is no Green Beans location in Marin, but company officials say that there is a possibility that one will open up in the near future. There is a Green Beans at Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield.

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Marin residents may be on the verge of saving money and reducing carbon emissions. On July 20th, Local Power Work LLC, will make their bid, to the Marin Energy Authority, hoping to win supporters by offering prices below, or at what PG&E charges. Their bid will focus on creating, not only more jobs, but "green" jobs and, at the same time, improve the quality of life for those living in Marin. In addition, they will provide more than seventy-five percent of Marin's electricity through "green" energy sources.

The new bid is made up of four phases and will maximize Marin's carbon footprint. The four phases are as follows:

1. Provide more efficient energy, smart grid / load control and initiate a residential photovoltaic program

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Chelsea Lucas of Greenbrae and Kristy Wentzel of San Anselmo helped lead the Marin Rowing Association girls junior eight-plus crew to the United States Junior National Rowing Title, bringing a triumphant close to the 17 year olds’ careers with the Marin Rowing Association.

Now the girls are competing for their country at the World Rowing Junior Championships in Brive-la-Gaillarde, France. The competition will be held from Wednesday through Sunday. The girls were selected for the team after an invitation only camp held in Connecticut.

For Lucas, this will be the 2nd year in a row as coxswain for the junior national team, and, she hopes her 2nd consecutive gold medal. She describes the feeling of winning a gold medal as unforgettable.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Those living in Mill Valley will now be able to view a replica gravity car in the downtown depot plaza. Although some of the Mill Valley community had some concerns over its placement (some people did not feel it fit in aesthetically), after the majority voted in favor of, itwill now have a permanent place at the plaza.

The car is an exact replica of the open-air cars that, at one time (early 1900's), shuttled people around. In those days the gravity cars would shuttle approximately 25 to 30 people from the Mill Valley depot to the apex of Mount Tamalpais. Along the way, the track was incredibly winding and was even referred to as the "Crookedest Railroad in the World".

The only other concern over its placement is that it may be a hazard to the children who will play in the area. Some residents felt that it would be betterto place the car in front of City Hall, instead of the plaza. The city initially gave the car a two month trial period and, in the end, felt that it wasa good place for it.

The car is made out of wood and measures at 10 ft by 12 ft. Previously, it had resided at the Old Mill Park playround after debuting at the Memorial Day parade in 1990. The restoration comes after the car had suffered quite a bit of damage from moisture and vandalism. "It is a symbol of Mill Valley's rich history and I am glad it is going to be here", says Mill Valley homeowner Jay Hunnat.